Chapter 454/Unraveling the Lies

Chapter 454

Harold’s POV

Her harsh words landed squarely in the center of my chest like a cold, jagged blade. The blood froze in my veins, and my tongue was utterly paralyzed for seconds that stretched into an eternity. A suffocating silence descended upon the living hall, broken only by her ragged, uneven breaths and the soft, distant footsteps of the maid on the floor above.

The moment those brutal words slipped past Miley’s lips, panic seized her. She took a swift step back, slapping a trembling hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in pure horror at what she had just inflicted.

"Harold... I... I didn’t mean that..." she choked out.

I raised my hand slowly, signaling for her to stop without uttering a single word. Turning away from her, I stared into the empty space before me, my features hardening into pure stone. It was as though the quiet wound of my infertility a truth we had tiptoed around for years had just been sliced wide open in the most ruthless way possible.

She hurried toward me, tears streaming down her pale cheeks as her fingers clutched my forearm in desperate pleading. "Harold, please... understand me! I’m scared... I’m dying of terror at the thought of losing him!"

I removed my arm from her grip with a terrifying, absolute calmness, looking directly into her frantic eyes. My voice was low, hollowed out of all emotion. "Being sad or terrified... does not give us the right to steal other people’s children, nor does it excuse covering up my father’s crimes."

"It isn’t a crime!" she sobbed, striking her chest with her fist. "I am the one who stayed up through the night when he was screaming in pain! I am the one who held him close whenever he was sick! Genetics don’t make you a father, Harold... love does!"

I shook my head coldly, turning my steps toward the open balcony to draw in the crisp air that might relieve the suffocating tightness in my chest. "Yet just a moment ago, Miley, you used those very same genetics to stab me in the back... reminding me in crystal-clear terms who is capable and who is infertile."

She collapsed onto her knees behind me, burying her face in her hands as continuous, body-wracking sobs broke from her throat. "I’m sorry... forgive me, I lost my mind... Please don’t take Adam away from me, Harold... I’ll die without him!"

I turned back around, gazing down at her crumpled form on the rug. Heartache squeezed my chest to see her broken like this, but the image of Julie and those eyes that were an exact mirror of Adam’s refused to leave my mind.

I dropped down onto one knee before her, slowly using my hand to lift her wet face. I leaned on every last shred of rationality I had left. "Adam needs an immediate liver transplant... that is the absolute priority right now. We will not raise any of this before Robert or anyone else until our son walks out of that operating room completely healthy."

A sudden, desperate spark of hope flared in her tear-stained eyes, and she seized my hands eagerly. "Do you promise me?"

I closed my eyes for a long moment, exhaling a burning breath, before opening them with a firm, unyielding look. "I promise you that my sole priority is his life and his treatment... but after that, Miley, we will all face the truth together. I will not build my happiness on the corpse of a truth buried by my father, nor on the ruin of my brother’s life."

I released her hands and stood up, adjusting my coat with steady, measured movements. Heading toward the staircase to check on the little boy, I left her drowned in her quiet tears.

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Violet’s POV

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel, my eyes flicking repeatedly to the rearview mirror. Morgan’s black car was trailing me like a persistent shadow, carrying him and the Snake as they squirmed in the fires of their own burning curiosity.

Reaching for my phone with one hand, I dialed the number for Thomas that I had previously copied from Stewart’s phone.

It rang twice before his breathless voice cut through the line. "Hello... who is this?"

I uttered a single, icy name that instantly stole the air right out of his lungs. "Violet."

His heartbeat seemed to stop for a fraction of a second, followed by a surge of sudden, desperate eagerness. "Oh... Violet! It’s you!"

I issued my command in a tone that allowed no room for debate. "Manhattan... Route 65. Come quickly, right now."

"I’m on my way immediately!" he replied without a heartbeat of hesitation.

I ended the call smoothly. Before tossing the device onto the passenger seat, I dialed another number from memory—my personal assistant.

Frank’s stern voice answered on the first ring. "Yes, Madam?"

"Frank... listen to me carefully," I commanded with absolute authority. "Bring Mirdreth to my mansion."

"Understood, Madam," he obeyed instantly.

As I ended the line, a broad, triumphant smile spread across my face, dripping with vindictive satisfaction.

Today, every single one of them would receive their long-overdue punishment. All these fools were about to learn that Violet never leaves a single chess piece to chance and that I alone draw the lines of this game, weaving the threads of fate with my own hands.

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Julie’s POV

I lay sprawled across the massive white bed, my head resting against the plush pillow as I stared aimlessly at the ornate ceiling, putting on a false display of relaxation.

My mind was boiling over with racing thoughts. Everything we had been through today, every shock that had rained down on us like a lightning bolt, felt surreal completely detached from normal reality. It read like the harsh script of a twisted drama.

Suddenly, a jolt of realization struck my brain. I sat bolt upright, swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress.

I remembered that day with terrifying clarity... the day I was at the club, and Thomas had specifically asked me about Violet!

I slammed my palm against my forehead, gasping in sheer disbelief. "My God!... How could I have forgotten that?!"